Shaq: East Will Come Down To Heat, Pistons

Houston — Heat center Shaquille O'Neal summed up what seems to be the prevailing opinion about the Eastern Conference.

"It looks like it will be like last year, with us and Detroit," O'Neal said before the All-Star Game on Sunday night.

Pacers All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal said he understands that sentiment, but sounded a bit defiant while saying the Pacers can't be ruled out.

"We feel like if we see those guys in any round, we have a really good chance," said Indiana's O'Neal, who sat out the All-Star Game with a groin injury. "We went 2-0 against the Heat this year, we are 1-0 against the Pistons this year and I didn't play in that game. So we feel like we have a good chance."

The brawl with Pistons fans and subsequent suspension of Ron Artest scuttled the Pacers last season. This season it was Artest's public trade demands, followed by his deactivation from the team and a long wait before he finally was sent to Sacramento for Peja Stojakovic.

"To a point we used Ron as a crutch a little bit as a team," O'Neal said.

"We didn't perform the way really we need to perform. What I have seen since Peja got there is a new life. It is a new life in our locker room and guys understand we can do it."

IT'S PERSONAL

It seems Shaquille O'Neal still hasn't gotten over his sore feelings for Nuggets coach George Karl.

A reporter asked O'Neal about being frozen out of the 1994 All-Star Game, which O'Neal finished with eight points on 2-of-12 shooting.

O'Neal has long accused Karl, the West coach in that game, of targeting him in a breach of etiquette for All-Star Games.

"They just doubled me," O'Neal said. That was more George Karl. Me and him had problems, and we sill have problems."

Fun and games

All weekend Dwyane Wade and O'Neal, who started Sunday night, played down the rivalry with the Pistons having any bearing on the All-Star Game. They teamed with Detroit's Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace and coach Flip Saunders.

"Coach Flip, he had something to say about [the rivalry]," Wade said. "But it is all fun and games."...

O'Neal on Magic center Dwight Howard's development: "As long as Steve Francis is there doing what he's doing Dwight Howard won't get any better."